- The 2027 Toyota Highlander is a three-row electric SUV made in America.
- Assembled in Kentucky, the 2027 Highlander will be available with two battery options.
- Front- and all-wheel drive are also in the cards, while the maximum range is 320 miles.
Many automakers have significantly toned down their electric-vehicle ambitions in the United States. But Toyota is stepping up in a big way—literally, in this case.
This is the 2027 Toyota Highlander, an electric three-row SUV. Built in America with American-sourced batteries, the 2027 Highlander shows that Toyota is getting serious about EVs at a time when the competition is rearranging its priorities and betting more on hybrids. (Which, to be fair, Toyota is also doing.)
With exterior dimensions similar to those of its gas-powered counterpart, the new Highlander will be available with two battery options and a maximum estimated range of 320 miles on a full charge. That’s on par with the dual-motor Hyundai Ioniq 9, but it’s worth noting that Hyundai’s electric SUV, which is also assembled in the U.S., uses a bigger battery capacity to achieve the same estimated range.
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Source: Toyota
The Highlander EV comes in two grades: XLE and Limited. The base Highlander XLE comes with a 77-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a front-mounted electric motor that makes 221 horsepower and 198 pound-feet of torque. In this configuration, the estimated range is 287 miles. The same 77-kWh battery and XLE trim can be had with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain that makes 338 hp and 323 lb ft of torque. In this case, the range drops to 270 miles on a full charge.
A larger 95.8 kWh battery pack is also in the cards, but it’s important to note that it can only be specced on the all-wheel drive XLE and Limited trims. In both cases, the maximum range is 320 miles. By comparison, the dual-motor Ioniq 9 has the same range but uses a 110.3 kWh battery. That said, Hyundai customers can also pair the big battery with a single rear-mounted motor, boosting the estimated range to 335 miles.
2027 Toyota Highlander EV
Photo by: Toyota
The electric Highlander comes with a Tesla-style NACS charging port from the factory. The automaker didn’t say how much power it can handle when charging from a DC fast charger, but it did mention that going from 10% state of charge to 80% should take around 30 minutes.
The SUV is equipped with a standard battery preconditioning feature, which can be enabled manually or automatically when using the built-in navigation system. Plug & Charge is also baked in, as well as vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, which enables owners to export energy from the high-voltage battery through an adapter.
The new Highlander is 198.8 inches long, 78.3 inches wide and 67.3 inches tall, while the wheelbase comes in at 120.1 inches. This makes it nearly identical to the Ioniq 9, which is three inches taller and has a three-inch longer wheelbase. With the third row up, the cargo volume is 15.9 cubic feet, and it increases to 45.6 cu ft when the trunk seats are folded flat.
2027 Toyota Highlander EV
Photo by: Toyota
Based on a modified version of the TNGA-K architecture that underpins cars like the RAV4 crossover and Sienna minivan, the battery-powered Highlander comes standard with a six-seat layout featuring a pair of captain’s chairs on the second row. However, on the XLE AWD trim, customers can choose an optional bench seat for the second row, making the Highlander a seven-seater.
Speaking of the interior, the Highlander gets a driver-focused cockpit with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch central touchscreen running Toyota’s latest-generation infotainment system. Dubbed “Toyota Audio Multimedia,” the new user interface features 5G connectivity from AT&T, an embedded voice assistant and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. There’s also a built-in dashcam feature called Drive Recorder.
The XLE features front acoustic glass, 19-inch wheels, heated front seats and steering wheel, a 64-color ambient lighting setup, a six-speaker audio system and the aforementioned pair of screens. Go for the fancier Limited trim, and you’ll get a head-up display, ventilated front seats, heated second row seats, rear sunshades, a 360-degree camera system and lane change assistance.
Photo by: Toyota
Meanwhile, the options list includes a fixed panoramic glass roof, a JBL premium sound system with 11 speakers, a two-tone paintjob and 22-inch wheels.
The new Highlander is a big deal for Toyota and its American manufacturing portfolio. It’s the company’s first three-row EV for the U.S. market and the first electric car built at one of its American factories.
Production of the 2027 Highlander will kick off later this year at Toyota’s factory in Kentucky, with sales expected to begin in late 2026. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but logic dictates that it should be in the same neighborhood as the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, which range from roughly $55,000 and $80,000.
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